


How To Train Your Demon

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Summoner AU, also a school au, i had a lot of fun with the world building, minor Chendy, minor MiraMard, originally for JackaLu Week 2016, some torture and mind games in chapter 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-03 23:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12157050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: When summoner in training Lucy Heartfilia completed her first summoning ritual, she had expected to get a Celestial Spirit for her lifelong partner. Just like her mother. Instead, she got a furry with a grudge. A dangerous one.





	1. I Summoned A Furry

Energy, of both the arcane variety and the more mundane, thrummed in the air of the classroom today. Lucy herself could barely contain her enthusiasm as she slid in between two blue-haired girls at a long bench.

"Today's the day!" she whispered to the pair, her face split into a huge grin.

Her friends didn't seem to quite share her excitement, however. In fact, Wendy - the smallest girl in the entire school - looked downright nauseous. "Today's the day," she agreed weakly, sinking low into her chair.

Lucy's smile fell, and she placed a hand to her friend's forehead. After a long moment she announced, "You don't seem to have a fever... but are you sure you're feeling alright?"

On her other side, Levy let out a faltering laugh. "She's just nervous, Lucy. Can't say I blame her."

"Whaaaat?" Lucy dragged out the word, dropped her hand from Wendy's flustered face. "How are you guys nervous? This is the day we finally get to summon our contract partners! You know... the summons that will be with us the rest of our lives!"

Rolling her eyes, Levy replied, "Yeah... totally no pressure there."

"You've been taking the same classes as me," Lucy lectured, "so you know as well as I do that there's nothing to fear! The spell is safe!" She paused, and then amended, "When performed correctly, it's completely safe."

Wendy let out a strangled sob and buried her head in her arms.

"Oh Lu," Levy said, reaching behind the blond to rub the back of the crying girl. "Now look what you've done."

Feeling a pang of guilt, Lucy patted Wendy's arm. "I'm sorry, Wendy - I'm just really happy."

Blue strands of hair parted, as Wendy tilted her head to look up at Lucy. "I know," she said. "I'm just... What if my summons don't like me?" Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. "I don't think I could handle that."

"Don't worry," a soft voice came from behind them. The trio turned to find a white-haired girl smiling kindly at them. "Our first summons are always the ones who will have the strongest ties to our souls."

"That's right!" a pink-haired girl sitting beside the first girl piped up. "Besides... you're such a sweet person, I don't see how anyone could possibly hate you. Much less your own summons!"

Wendy hiccupped, and turned a virulent shade of red. "U-Um, thank you!" she squeaked. "B-But you couldn't possibly know that..."

"Of course I do!" the pink-haired girl declared, pounding her fist into her chest. "If there's anything I know about, it's love!" She didn't seem to notice as Wendy turned into a crimson, spluttering mess. "I'm Chelia, by the way! I've sat behind you guys ever since the beginning of the school year, actually. Since I've been watching you the whole time, I definitely know you're deserving of love!"

The innocent words nearly slew Wendy on the spot.

Chelia blinked. "Did I say something wrong?" she questioned.

Her companion laughed. "Something right, I think!" She giggled at her friend's confusion. "Never mind." Turning back to the other three, she said, "My name is Lisanna! I'm sorry we haven't introduced ourselves before now. We meant to but... well after two months we thought it'd be awkward."

Lucy let out a laugh. "No worries - we should have introduced ourselves as well. I'm Lucy, this is Levy, and that's Wendy."

Levy greeted them cheerfully, but all Wendy could manage was an incoherent mumbling.

Further conversation was curtailed by the arrival of their summoning instructor - via throwing the doors open with so much force they slammed against the walls. "Hello, mortals!" the blond man shouted. "I, the great God Serena, am here to grace you with my holy presence." Ignoring the chorus of groans as the students all settled into their seats, he reached the podium at the front of the room. "Please, I understand that I am ethereal and my presence is awe inspiring, but try not to let that distract you from today's lesson! That's right, boys, girls, and all else! Your summons class today is to summon your lifelong contract summons! Of course, none-other than I, the great God Serena, will be supervising this activity! Yes, my name does need to be said twice, there's no wearing it out."

With that, he promptly pivoted and began to march right back out the doors. "Come, come, now! Summon up some enthusiasm and let's get going!"

Since he'd left no time to prepare for the sudden change of venue, the class scurried to catch up to their flamboyant instructor. This wasn't the first time he'd blindsided them during a class, or strung them along to his tune like a pied piper spirit, but this was definitely a new course of action.

Lucy and the others joined the throng, she far more willing than her friends.

"Go ahead, Lu!" Levy laughed, peeling Wendy up off the bench. "We'll catch up!"

She hesitated, and then doubled back. "Don't be silly! I'm not gonna abandon my friends just because I'm excited."

When the impromptu field trip came to an end, the students found themselves in an open field behind the school.

God Serena beamed at them, two students Lucy didn't recognize standing beside him. "Wonderful! Today I'm enlisting the assistance of a couple of your upperclassmen in order to make this as swift as possible. We've got three summoning rings set up, so three of you at a time will be performing your summonings."

"Uh... it's not being held in the class?" a student from the back called out.

"Of course not!" Serena laughed. "After that debacle four years ago with the kraken and the leviathan, all summonings are now being held outside." He shrugged, his arms splayed wide. "Though large summonings like those are rather rare, but we'd really rather not have to rebuild the building if such a  _fluke_  happens again!" Serena paused.

On cue, the students groaned at the pun. Though this only seemed to spur him on. "So these are the students helping out today - Freed Justine and Cana Alberona. Freed drew up all of the summoning circles and wards, and Cana's determined how many life contract summons you're each capable of sustaining at your current ability level. Treat them with due respect, my little cretins."

The brunette girl laughed, while the green haired boy politely coughed at the introduction. Was it just Lucy, or did the girl seem... drunk? She was teetering from side to side, and appeared to have a nasty case of the hiccups. And were those horns on the boy's head? Or was that his hair? She'd seen some strange things done with hair before - her instructor's gravity defying up-do proving the point - so it wouldn't really surprise her.

"Remember, children! The beings you call forth here today will be not only your partners, but your friends. So treat them well... even if they are different from what you had expected." Serena cleared his throat. "Alright then, first up is Vanderwood, Beth; Corona, Flare; and Tilm, Eve!"

It wasn't especially surprising to anyone at this point that their instructor had decided to forgo the normal policy of alphabetical order. Though Freed had definitely shot God Serena a peeved look before turning his attention to a small redhead and his clipboard. Cana was draping herself over the blond boy that had approached her, and he was positively soaking up the attention.

Lucy turned to her friends, positively beaming. "It's finally happening! I'm going to be a summoner like my mother!"

Wendy smiled, her courage fortified (Lucy suspected) by the presence of Chelia at her elbow. "Your mother summoned um... celestial spirits, right Lucy?"

"Heavenly spirits!" Lisanna gasped. "That's so cool!"

"Thanks, you guys!" Lucy laughed. "I'm really excited. It runs in the family so... I'm looking forward to meeting my new friends. So do any of you know what to expect?"

Chelia tapped her chin in thought. "My cousin summons an incorporeal demon capable of possessing inanimate objects, but that's all I really know about it. She also has a magical beast summon - a giant rat. Maybe I'll get something similar to that?"

Next, Lisanna spoke up, "My older siblings have Take Over type summons - the souls of beasts and demons live inside them. So I'll probably have that, too. I'm kind of hoping for something cuter though."

The others had to repress a shudder. Take Over type summoners allowed their bodies to become one with their summoned beings. It was a terrifying possibility.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over them.

"Oh, would you look at that!" exclaimed Serena happily. "A giantess, right out of the gate. Good thing we held this outside, yeah? And oooh, watch out for that fire elemental! It's a scorcher!"

Wendy's nerves had returned, along with Levy's.

Lucy patted them both reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm sure he won't call your names for -"

"Marvell, Wendy! Blendy, Chelia! Milkovich, Meredy!"

A whimper arose from Wendy. "I'm not ready for this!"

Without breaking stride, Chelia slipped her hand into Wendy's and dragged her off towards the rune circles. "Wish us luck!"

Wendy stared back at them, her eyes wide with horror... though she didn't pull her hand away from Chelia's.

"Oh that is adorable," Lisanna sighed. "We should catch up, though."

Proceeding to the front for a good view of the show, the three settled into the grass. "Good luck!" they called out.

Chelia had already hop-skipped her way over to Serena, but Wendy's feet were rooted into the grass beside Freed. With a gentle nudge, and soft words that Lucy couldn't catch from her position, he cajoled her into entering the circle. Despite the horn-hair thingies - which were even stranger up close, if that were possible - the upperclassman seemed like a nice person.

Shooting a terrified glance over to Chelia, Wendy fisted her hands in her dress. Chelia noticed her gaze, and gave her a thumbs up. With a smile, Wendy turned back to face Freed. "I'm ready, now."

He nodded. "Then start."

There wasn't anything special to a summoning spell, contrary to what the main public thought. It was a silent affair, power releasing from Wendy's skin in bright, shimmering arcs - though Wendy herself did not witness the splendor for her eyes were squeezed shut. Lucy knew that Wendy was pleading with all of her heart right then - calling out into the vast void for her new friend to join her.

Then the energy coalesced and...

Blinking rapidly, Lucy peered at the space around Wendy. She didn't see anything. Had the summoning failed? That couldn't be...

Wendy's hair lifted in a slight breeze, and the girl's eyes shot open. Delight bloomed across her face, and she twirled with a delighted giggle. The wind strengthened, ruffling her hair and tugging at her clothes playfully.

"A wind elemental," Freed intoned calmly. "Wait... no. A sky elemental. Congratulations, Miss Marvell." He glanced down at his clipboard. "According to Cana's readings..."

"Which are always right!" the brunette shouted.

Freed ignored her. "...It would appear that you have another partner waiting for you to call them."

"Okay!" Wendy agreed, all traces of hesitation gone from her body. She inhaled deeply, and the magic flowed around her once more.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Wendy opened her eyes, and glanced around in puzzlement. "They came," she said. "But I don't see..."

Then a giant egg clonked onto her head, sending her tumbling to the ground. "Ouch!" she complained, holding her head.

The egg bounced once on the ground, and then split open. "Good heavens, child," a voice came from within the remains of the shell. "You didn't need to catch me with your head, of all things. Your hands would have done just as well."

Wendy hesitantly crawled over to the fragments and scooped up... a small, white kitten. With even tinier wings. "My name is Carla," the kitten informed her. "And your name is...?"

"Wendy!"

"Pleased to meet you, Wendy."

"A magical beast," Freed's level voice announced, Wendy returning to the group. "Exceed species." He jotted down the information and shot Wendy a kind smile. "Well done."

A moment later, Chelia flopped down beside Wendy. She made a victory sign. "Wind elemental and sky elemental!"

As the group congratulated the pair, Cana's voice rang out, "Heartfilia, Lucy!"

"That's you, Lu!" Levy gave her a little shove. "Get going!"

Lucy could almost feel herself vibrating with enthusiasm. Approaching Cana, she gave the upperclassman a brilliant smile. "I'm Lucy!"

Cana grinned back at her. "Nice to meet'cha hot stuff!" She glanced down at her clipboard, not seeing Lucy's face burst into red. "Looks like you've got two..." Then she frowned. "Hmm... might want to exercise caution on the second. Looks like a powerful guardian summon."

"T-Thanks!" Lucy said, heading towards the summoning circle. She yelped at a sudden sting to her rear end.

"Go get 'em tiger!" Cana shouted, as if she had not just slapped Lucy on her ass.

Hastily, Lucy entered the circle.

Squaring her shoulders, she closed her eyes and took a deep, meditating breath. She could do this. She was born to do this. Nothing could stop her or stand in the way. Her mother had once stood on these academy grounds, and had summoned forth spirits of the stars. Now Lucy would, too.

Allowing her magic to well up under her skin, Lucy felt it then wash off of her. Deep in her soul, she sang to the stars.

After a moment, she heard a quiet, "Pun Pun!"

Lucy opened her eyes and glanced down. A quivering, white creature with a drill-like nose was staring up at her. It raised a paw. "Pun Pun!"

She let out a shout of delight. "Oh my goodness, you're so adorable! Do you mind if I pick you up?" It raised its other paw, and Lucy took that for permission. "Constellation of the Little Dog! A Celestial Spirit! I didn't think you'd be this cute! Do you have a name?!"

Nearby, she thought she heard Cana laughing, but Lucy was far too entranced by the spirit in her arms.

"Pun," it informed her.

"Oh, I get to name you?" It nodded. "Alright then... how about... Plue?"

Nodding vigorously it stated, "Pun!"

She gave the spirit a final hug. "I'm gonna have to let you go back home for a bit, but don't worry - we'll get better acquainted later. I promise!"

With a shimmer of gold light, the spirit vanished.

Lucy dropped her empty arms to her sides, and faced Cana once more. "Ready to go again!" she announced.

"That's the spirit!"

Inhaling deeply, Lucy calmed her stammering heart. There was another friend waiting for her. A strong one, according to Cana. That thought excited her, but Lucy would have been fine with a weak spirit too. Either way, she was ready to meet them. A lifelong friend.

Her magic overflowed, filling up the space in the summoning circle, humming from the density.

Then she called out as she had before.

But somehow... it didn't feel like there was a response.

Frowning, she poured more energy around her. A strong spirit would need a lot of power to push through a gate. It was up to her to provide it.

She called out again.

_'Please, please hear me. Please come here. I want to meet you. Where are you? Come here.'_

The ground suddenly lurched beneath her feet. With a shriek, Lucy fell into the grass. Her eyes now open, she stared in dumbfounded awe and terror at the dark portal she now shared the space with.

What was that?

That wasn't a celestial gate!

A clawed foot, dark as soot, stepped out onto the grass. And then another as the being emerged from the portal.

Lucy's eyes trailed from the bestial toes upward, past golden furred legs, and spotted arms. Her eyes rested on his face, and the long ears protruding from his skull. A tail, thickly furred, waved in the air behind the being. The clothes he wore were hardly more than tatters, hanging off his lanky form.

The portal disappeared with a pop.

Confused, Lucy tried to sit up. "You aren't a celestial spirit..." she said, her voice shaking. "What... did I summon a furry?" Something wasn't right here. Something had gone wrong after all. Alarm bells were ringing in her head.

Golden eyes with slitted pupils flicked over to her then, and she found herself unable to move under their baleful light.

"Freed!" Cana shouted, though Lucy didn't dare turn her head to look. "God Serena! Something's wrong! I've got a bad feeling about this!"

A grin, full of glimmering fangs, split across the summon's face. "Well, well, well!" he laughed, throwing back his head. "This is rich! This is too rich!"

He spread his arms wide.

"If it ain't the  _bitch_  that murdered me! Must be my lucky day!"

Lucy's ears rang with the sound of his howling laughter.

His eyes gleamed, feral, as he advanced towards her.

"I'm going to enjoy exploding you sky high. You're going to rain down in Itty. Bitty. Pieces."

Light emanated from the tips of his clawed fingers.

"Bye bye, Blondie!"


	2. Leash Laws Are Strictly Enforced

Jackal wasn't entirely certain where he was. All he knew was that he was dead. Probably. Where did demons go when they die? He'd assumed it wouldn't matter when he was alive, so he'd never given it much thought. Why bother when there were so many  _other_  things to  _make_  dead?

Regardless, whatever he'd expected, it hadn't been this place.

There was nothing all around him. Not just that he couldn't see anything, there was just... nothing there  _to_  see. He was... floating? Sort of? Jackal wasn't entirely certain, but he didn't really feel the need to breathe either. Probably wasn't air there in the first place, so that was good.

Dead was the only word he was coming up with for his current state of being.

Honestly, this was more boring than anything else. Jackal wasn't made for existential, philosophical musings. Literally was not made for it (that was what Mard and Seilah were for). He would scream to alleviate the tedium, or explode something, but again... no air. Which was necessary for ignition and for sound waves.

Anything was better than this place. Hell, he'd take Mard Geer's thorn prison over this.

Okay, maybe not that. Those thorns were bloodthirsty, and regrew way too fast for even Jackal's curse to keep up with.

At this point, all he could do was replay over and over again in his head how he'd come to be there. Staring down at a blonde woman, glowing with aquamarine light. His curse rebounding harmlessly off her shield of water. And then countless heavenly bodies appearing all around, more ancient than even he.

Then he'd... died.

It filled him with rage, burning inside of him with no release, no outlet.

How  _dare_  that uppity blonde bimbo reduce  _him_ , the great demon Jackal, to this state? How dare she relegate him to what would probably be an eternity within this limbo?

If he ever saw her again (unlikely though he knew it was), he was going to make her pay for this. Slowly. Or maybe quickly. ...No, slowly, he decided. Jackal wanted to savor her suffering. That bitch was going to  _pay_.

And then... Jackal sensed that something was changing in the void. It took him... well he didn't actually know how long, his sense of time was all kinds of fucked up here. But eventually, he realized that it was tug on his senses, where previously there had been none. An urging to go somewhere.

Jackal followed it without question.

He found himself stepping onto something cool. Odd. He hadn't remembered trying to walk, or moving his legs at all. Bright, warm light hit his face. Jackal blinked furiously, and inhaled deeply. So many scents bombarded him. Grass, sweat, dirt, water, and... humans.

The demon felt his lip curl into a sneer of delight, as one human's scent in particular washed over him, saturated with terror. His ears pricked towards the sound of her quick heartbeat, even before her voice reached them.

"You aren't a celestial spirit..." No shit, Top Heavy. "What... did I summon a furry?"

His eyes finally adjusted to the light, he flicked his golden orbs in her direction.

The bane of his existence was kneeling on the ground, every muscle in her body shaking. Sweat beaded on her brow, her breath heavy. Her brown eyes were wide with fright, her pulse accelerating. Something was off about those eyes, he thought. But he brushed it off.

Behind him, he heard the other humans making a fuss. Let them. There was absolutely nothing they could do to stop him now.

He had exactly what he wanted right in front of him.

Something out there clearly liked him and wanted to let him have his fun.

"Well, well, well!" he crowed in triumph. "This is rich! This is too rich! If it ain't the bitch that murdered me! Must be my lucky day!"

Power surged through his veins, gathering in his hands. Oh good, that was still working. Now he could end her just the way he liked. "I'm going to enjoy exploding you sky high. You're going to rain down in Itty. Bitty. Pieces."

A whimper escaped her throat, and she unconsciously shrank back from his approaching form.

"Bye bye, Blondie!"

Light erupted from his hand, filling the world with white light.

The girl screamed as the ground exploded in front of her, dirt and rocks spraying into her face. She covered her face and coughed.

Jackal reached down, and grabbed her throat with one hand. With ease, he hauled her up until she was on her feet. "What, did you think it was going to be over that quickly?" He laughed. "No, I have a far better idea." His arm swept out in a grand gesture, bomb circles spreading across the field, penning the students in. "Let's play a little game!" Jackal laughed, and then leaned in close to her face - their noses almost brushing. He whispered, "I think you'll know this one!"

Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, and she scratched weakly at the back of his hand. Blood trickled down her face from a laceration.

Loosening his grip slightly, Jackal pulled his head back. Letting her blackout this early would be no fun at all. "Now!" he announced, sweeping arm out to the crowd of terrified young humans. "Who shall be our lucky winners...?" His golden eyes alit upon a pair girls, the legs of one having given out. The other pulled at the blue-haired girl's clothes and arm, trying to get her to stand up. With a snap of his fingers, a circle of runes bloomed beneath the petrified girl's body. "I think we've found the first! As for the second..." His gaze passed over the crowd, finding one person not looking at him, but at the trapped girl. She even had blue hair just like the first, too! Another snap, and a new circle. "And there's the second. I think we'll keep it simple this time too, but..."

Jackal smiled at his captive. "Let's change it up just a little bit. The new rules are... choose one of the two to live, and then I'll choose another to weigh the first survivor against! We'll keep going until there's only one or two left. And then I'll just kill all of you. How does that sound?"

Warbled, incoherent wails of despair erupted from the blonde.

"Oh stop that!" he snapped. "Hurry up and choose, Blondie."

She shook her head. "No." Her voice was hoarse, and quiet. "I can't!"

Jackal squeezed the girl's throat a little tighter. As she gasped, Jackal prompted, "So which will it be? The crybaby, or headband girl? Who are you going to condemn, and who are going to save? The bomb's ticking, and this time there's no one coming to take your decision away."

"I wouldn't be so certain of that!" a cheerful voice announced behind him.

Before Jackal could react, something cold snapped around his neck. Needles, icy and hot raced through his veins. With a shout, he dropped the blonde and clawed at the source of his agony. Something solid and ridged pressed into his searching fingertips.

Snarling, he turned on the person that had done this to him. "What is this?!" Jackal hissed, the blond man in front of him smiling brightly.

"A collar. Leash laws are strictly enforced here, I'm afraid." The man shrugged, shaking his head in mock moroseness. "Also, it would reflect poorly on me as an educator should a student perish at the claws of their own summon while under my tutelage." His calm gaze flickered over to the students, and then met Jackal's once more. "Much less all of them. So how about you dispel those nasty circles, yes? The pain should stop once you do."

"Fuck you!" Jackal howled, curse power gathering in his claws. "If I blow you to smithereens, this collar should stop working!"

The man tsked, and waggled his finger condescendingly at the demon. "You shouldn't be so hasty! Cleaning chunks of demon out of my hair would take forever. And we've only just met - I would hate for you to perish from your own stupidity before I have the chance to ask you a few questions!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than a chiming sound emanated from his clothing. "Speaking of, the Ice Queen probably has a few for me now." Whipping out a small, clear ball from a hidden pocket, the blond man turned and strutted away. "Hello there, Ice Queen! Tis I, God Serena!"

Something pricked Jackal's side. "Slumber."

And everything went dark.

* * *

The demon crumpled to the ground in an unmoving heap.

With a heavy sigh, Freed sheathed his sword. "That should dispel the circles," he calmly announced to the frightened pack of first years.

Sure enough, the bombs were gone.

"Everyone remain calm!" Cana shouted, striding along the perimeter. "The threat has been neutralized! Please line up so I can perform a head count! Anyone who's injured, please come to the front if you can so you can be treated!"

Freed bent down to the girl shaking on the ground. He extended his hand out to her.

She flinched, and curled up on herself.

Sensing the problem, Freed withdrew the appendage. "My apologies, miss. Are you injured?"

The girl nodded, and gently touched her throat. Red welts the shape of claws encircled her entire neck. They were going to bruise horribly if left untreated. Even then, there probably wasn't a way to completely prevent the violent marking. "Please allow me to escort you to the infirmary, miss...?"

"Lucy," she whispered.

He gave her a kind smile. "Miss Lucy. I'm very sorry that you had to endure this."

Not knowing how to respond, Lucy kept silent.

"Lu!" a blue-haired girl called out, rushing over to the blonde's side. "Are you alright?!"

Soon, a second joined them. "Lucy!"

A weak, tremulous smile appeared on her face. "Levy... Wendy... I'm..." Lucy hiccupped, fresh tears pouring down her face. "I'm... hic... I'm happy you're... hic... alright!"

"Oh Lu!" The two petite girls wrapped their arms gently around their friend as she sobbed and clung to them with all her remaining strength.

* * *

In the end, the trip to the infirmary was postponed. Serena, after his conversation on his communication crystal, had instead ordered Lucy to visit the headmaster's office. The healer would meet her there, and she would be treated and questioned.

Lucy was a little surprised when Freed was also instructed to accompany her and Serena. Freed himself, however, seemed nonplussed by the situation. He had simply gone over to the demon, picked him up, and threw him over his shoulder. As if the demon weighed no more than a sack of potatoes. Then Freed had turned to Cana and asked her to keep order by herself until a spare teacher could be found to complete the remaining summoning rituals as scheduled. (To which she saluted with a bottle - where had she gotten that?) Lucy had a hard time believing that her fellow students would be willing to continue, however. Not after what had just occurred.

Obediently, Lucy had accompanied her instructor. The blonde made sure to keep Serena solidly between her and Freed's burden, however.

Now she was seated in an austere room. Long, elegant, wrinkled hands carefully inspected her abused throat. The healer was an old woman named Porlyusica; a woman possessed of pink hair and a ferocious scowl. But her touch was gentle as she smeared some sort of paste onto Lucy's exposed skin. "Will prevent most of the bruising," Porlyusica explained gruffly.

"Thank you," Lucy murmured in reply.

Her job complete, Porlyusica wiped her hands with a cloth. "I will leave you this ointment. Apply it every couple of hours, and come see me tomorrow. There's no lasting damage as far as I can tell, but it'll be best to rest your throat for a couple of days." She turned a glare towards Serena, and the bespectacled man behind the desk waiting on them. "Don't ask her too much, Invel."

The frosty-eyed man pushed his glasses up his nose. "There's no need for an extended interrogation, I assure you. I believe I have a handle on what happened already, and can venture guesses as to why." The assistant headmaster turned his intense gaze on Lucy herself. "I only have a couple of things I wish to ask of you. Then you may return to your dorm room to rest, Miss Heartfilia."

Huffing, Porlyusica pressed a container into Lucy's hands. "I'll hold you to that."

Invel bowed his head. As soon as the healer had departed, he glanced over at the side room. Behind the locked door lay the demon Lucy had summoned. "For now, your demon is unconscious." Turning back to Lucy, his eyes bored into hers.

Lucy repressed a shudder. Invel's gaze was the opposite of the demon's, liquid moonlight, cold and rigid. However... something about it reminded her too much of the demon's molten gold eyes that burned with hate.

"I'll be brief," Invel stated, either not noticing Lucy's wariness or - more likely - not caring. "Although my inspection wasn't as thorough as I would have liked, I was able to determine that he's a higher class artificial demon."

Drawing back, Lucy stared at him in horror. "He's... man-made?"

"That is the assumption, yes." Invel shrugged. "To be frank, I've only ever seen one other of his species. That demon is contracted to another student a couple of grades higher than yours. Though that particular student did not encounter the same difficulties you did; perhaps due to her experience contracting other demons, along with having summoned him later in her schooling. Regardless, I've arranged for you to meet so you may learn how to manage your own demon."

Lucy shook her head violently, ignoring the painful twinges in her throat the action caused. "Not..." She glanced down, her white-knuckled fists clenching her skirt. "He's not  _my_  demon."

Invel was silent for a moment. "You are incorrect. He  _is_  your demon." Lucy's head snapped up, meeting the assistant headmaster's frigid eyes. "You summoned him. As such, he is your responsibility henceforth." He cut her off as she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm going to be honest and direct with you, as you seem like a smart child. This isn't the first time a summon has turned on its master. In fact... it happens more often than you'd think."

Beside her, Serena shrugged helplessly. "We don't like to tell you young 'ins about that, of course. Would make you too nervous to try. And of course that would lead to a higher rate of being attacked by your own summon."

"It's a risk you take in binding other sentient beings to you," Invel continued, picking up smoothly from where Serena left off. "That being said, we're not without pity. Or more importantly, we're not without recourse. Tell me..." His gaze intensified, something dark swimming inside the icy orbs. "What did you do to this demon to make him hate you so passionately that his soul became bound to your own?"

Lucy's eyes were wide. "Nothing!" she defended herself. "I've never met it... him... before! Not once!"

Invel's stare did not lessen in intensity. "Are you quite certain?"

"Yes!"

Unexpectedly, Invel's face relaxed. He leaned back in his chair. "Very well. I believe you. So now the question would be what to do about your summon. It would be troublesome to have him attack other students."

Lucy thought it would be a good sight more than merely  _troublesome_ , but she kept her mouth shut.

The way the corner of Invel's mouth twitched upward at her stubborn silence gave her the impression that she'd just passed a test of some sort.

After a minute, Serena spoke up. "If it's a grudge binding, then the best way to get a summon to leave is to dissipate the demon's rage. A summon can't be forcefully dispelled by anyone other than the original summoner, and not without a lot of training. So unfortunately, he's going to have to be part of your life for a while. There's a number of restraints we can put on him to keep him line until you're strong enough to send him on his way without his permission." Serena let out a short laugh. "Or until he forgets about it himself."

Her heart sinking, Lucy glanced between the two men. "I can't... I don't..." Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall. "How can I live with a creature that hates me so much? That's tried to murder me and my friends?" Unable to stop them, droplets slid from down her cheeks, and into her lap. "He... he..." Lucy out a sob. "He wanted me to  _choose!_ He was going to make me choose which of my friends lived, and which ones died! How can I coexist with that... with that  _creature?_ " She lifted her head. " _How?!_ "

Invel tapped his finger against his desk. "That's something you'll have to figure out."

Comfortingly, Serena patted Lucy's shoulder. "We'll keep him as he is now for a few days. Still have a couple of tests to run, after all. This will give you the chance to learn more about how to handle his kind, as well."

Looking up at him, Lucy nodded weakly. A small smile crept across her face. "Maybe his mood will improve after a long nap."

"That's the spirit!" Serena declared, standing up. "You're quite right. A nap might do wonders for his disposition. Always does for Acno! Now then..." He offered her his arm. "Shall I do you the tremendous honor of having I, the great God Serena, escort you to your dorm?"

Gently, Lucy placed a hand on her teacher's outstretched arm. "Thank you."

She didn't think she would be ready, though. No matter what her instructors believed.


	3. Skulking Is Not Polite

Lucy awoke to a dark, unfamiliar room. Clothes sticky and cold, she threw an arm over her eyes. It stank of sweat, but she left it there nonetheless. The weight was comforting, somehow.

The dregs of her dreams refused to drain away, like the dried tear tracks on her face. Fragmented, she'd watched again and again as the golden furred demon forced her to choose between her friends. Only in her dreams, she did choose. Sometimes one, sometimes the other. Sometimes it wasn't Levy and Wendy, but Cana and Freed. Chelia and Lisanna. And whoever was chosen would look at her - betrayed and lost. The remaining one would stare at her with horror equal to that reserved for the monster that squeezed her throat, his sharp claws digging into her flesh.

Each and every iteration had felt so painfully real. Lucy had smelled the crushed grass underfoot, felt the warmth of the breeze on her cheek.

Fresh tears caught in the sleeve of her pajamas, and the ones that escaped rolled down her cheeks. Lucy shivered as a droplet fell into her ear.

How was she going to do this? How was she to work alongside of someone that had looked overjoyed at her suffering? His grin was seared into her memory - the curve of his fangs, the twist of his mouth, the way the skin surrounding his eyes had crinkled at the edges in delight. His laugh, too, echoed in her skull.

"I can't do this!" she whispered.

"An interesting thing to conclude, given that you have yet to begin."

Lucy bolted upright at the strange, deep voice in her room. Fumbling for the light by her bedside, it took several tries before she was able to flick the device on. Bright light poured out, and Lucy flinched. She blinked rapidly to clear the firework bursts dancing along her vision.

The stranger laughed, deep-throated and almost cruel. "With a reaction time such as that, perhaps you shouldn't after all."

Her vision cleared, Lucy peered beyond the circle of light provided by her lamp. This new room God Serena had set her up in was far larger than her previous dorm room, and the lamp didn't quite reach the far corner.

There was a soft  _whump_  - a book snapping shut. It was a sound Lucy was intimately familiar with. Then the owner of the voice leaned forward and stood. Stepping into the pool of light, he dragged his fold-up chair with him. Once he was beside her bed, he took up residence on it once more. He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. His book sat in his lap, and his long, delicate fingers rested upon it in turn. Narrow and dark, his eyes regarded her critically.

Lucy wasn't entirely certain how a person could exude so much  _regalness_  while sitting in a cheap, plastic folding chair.

Experimentally, she cleared her throat. Her heart beat erratically in her chest. Lucy was all too aware of the room's exit positioned too far away for her to reach, even if she wasn't still drained from the earlier events of the day. And the man knew his superior position as well, if his smirk was anything to go by. "Who... who are you?" she settled for, her muscles tensed to defend herself if she had to. "And why were you reading in my room in the dark?"

He rolled his shoulders. "Was waiting for you to wake up. And if one possesses near perfect night vision, it would be a shame to not use it."

"That wasn't answering my question."

"Incorrect - it was the answer to one of your questions." His smile broadened slightly. "As for the other..." He paused, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, and his lips pressing together a little more tightly. If Lucy hadn't had so much experience reading people when she lived at the Konzern, she likely would have missed it entirely.

Did he... not know how to respond to the question?

"Mard Geer," he announced. Lucy jolted in surprise, and his smile grew. "Mard Geer is how I am addressed."

She stared at him for a long moment, unsure how to process his statement. "But not your name?"

"For all intents and purposes, it is," Mard Geer replied smoothly. "It serves well enough as a name."

The longer she spent in this man's company, the more convinced Lucy became that he was a very, very dangerous individual. Although... he kind of reminded her of Invel. It was the cold calculation in his gaze - a predator lying in wait.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, " _What_  are you?"

"A demon of Tartaros."

Lucy inhaled sharply, retreating until her back pressed against the headboard of her bed. Though she wasn't familiar with what he meant by 'Tartaros', Lucy knew enough of demonkind to be wary.

If anything, this only amused him further. "Invel requested my summoner's... assistance. Therefore, mine is included as well." He bowed from his chair, sweeping and full of mockery. "Underworld King Mard Geer, at your service."

Swallowing thickly, Lucy stuttered, her voice an octave higher than normal, "Pleased to meet you!" She nearly slapped herself for that. What was she thinking?! This was a high class demon! In her room! While she was more or less defenseless! And here she was, falling back onto her old nobleborn habits!

Mard Geer straightened up, mischief in his eyes that hadn't been present before.

...Wait. Was he just jerking her around?

"To the crux of things, then," he stated, pointedly ignoring her ill composure. "You summoned a demon with whom I am... unfortunately acquainted."

"Oh good," she muttered. "Nice to know that I'm not the only one he leaves that impression on."

The demon snorted.

With that simple, very human action, Lucy no longer felt as if she was in as much danger as before. As if she'd undergone a trial he'd set forth for her (given her limited knowledge of the demon race, this was very likely the case), and had passed. She felt some of her tension easing, and she allowed a small smile onto her face.

Mard Geer inspected her for a long moment. "My summoner, Mirajane, has asked that I assist."

Lucy frowned, perplexed by what he was getting at. "I'm sorry?" she asked. "But... I thought you already said that."

"No," was his terse answer. He uncrossed his legs, and then swung the opposite one from before up and over his knee. "Invel is the one who ordered that I do something." The demon tilted his head slightly. "I care little for Invel, or for dealing with Jackal. But it seems you did Mirajane a favor today in standing against him and his perverse game. So she made the request of me as well."

Blinking rapidly, Lucy attempted to process what Mard Geer was telling her. Not just in his tone and posture, but also in his choice of phrasing. It tickled the back of her mind; igniting memories of polite words hiding vicious intent. His words were saying far more than she was hearing.

Was she understanding correctly that Mard Geer was obeying only because he'd been asked by his summoner? Implying that he would have refused if it had been an order? Could summons even do that? Ignore a direct order?

It cast him and his relationship to Mirajane in a strange light. Was it a contrary partnership, indulged simply because the demon felt the whim to do so? Or was it built more on mutual trust and understanding?

She wondered if she could attain the latter with her own demonic summon, if that were indeed the case. It gave her a little hope.

Lucy hesitated, something occurring to her, setting her on edge again. "Excuse me but... where is your summoner?" Lucy asked. It was odd that a summon would appear without their partner. Downright strange, actually. Lucy couldn't recall a single instance of that happening. Summoners usually kept their summons within line of sight at all times - it was more to protect the summon, but oftentimes the beings were dangerous enough that only their summoners could reign them in. She had trouble believing that a high class demon would be left to wander on his own.

"Her younger sister was in the crowd when you performed your ritual," Mard Geer replied smoothly. "Mine was not a needed presence, so I decided to take a more proactive approach."

"Oh." Lucy paused, and then guessed, "Meaning that you're here without her knowledge."

Mard Geer held his hands up and began to clap slowly.

She'd been wrong before. He wasn't a jerk at all.

He was an asshole.

The blonde decided to put that aside for the meantime. She had her fair share of experience in dealing with people that looked down on her. She wasn't about to let a demon get the better of her for the second time in one day. Instead, she asked, "What can you tell be about my... my summon? Since you said you know him. I need to understand him if I'm going to be working with him."

With a small shake of his head, Mard Geer explained, "I doubt you'd be able to  _understand_  him at all, quite frankly. What you need to know is how to manage him. If you can, at any rate."

Lucy's sheets bunched in her fists as she gripped them in her anger. "I held out for as long as I did, didn't I?"

"Ah, yes." His lips twisted in a wry smirk, his eyes narrowing in delight. "As he held you by the throat. Tell me, did you feel strong then?"

Spine stiff, Lucy refused to dignify that with an answer. This demon was just like the businessmen with whom her father worked. Less interested in her answers than in watching her squirm. She hadn't given them the satisfaction, and she wouldn't for this demon either. And unlike with those men, she didn't need to give Mard Geer a smile. Lucy leveled her best glare at the demon instead.

Mard Geer's face relaxed back into casual arrogance. "Your demon's name is Jackal."

"Jack...al. Jackal." Lucy ran the name over her tongue, testing it. How fitting; it perfectly suited a furry.

"Our creator was not especially... well... creative with names," Mard Geer acknowledged. "I myself was named for a type of pole-arm common to the era."

A pole-arm? Basically a stick with an extra pointy end, right? Yeah, Lucy could see that. Not much else could fit Mard Geer's personality, except maybe a thorny vine. She was beginning to think that the demons' creator was actually brilliant.

"Anything else I need to know?" Lucy pressed.

"He's rash, volatile... explosive in every meaning of the term. He has a peculiar sense of reason and rationale, but he's far from imbecilic. Crass. Vulgar in all manners. And a decidedly formidable opponent when he stops playing, though getting him to abandon his games is difficult at best." Mard Geer's smile as he spoke was the same one he'd worn the entire conversation; as if he was doing no more than debating the merits of the day's weather, not how Lucy was going to prevent her demise. "As you have witnessed firsthand, that playful drive and his unwavering obsession are a lethal combination and difficult to handle."

Lucy repressed a shudder. "Are you suggesting I cannot handle him?"

"Stating. Jackal cannot be tamed, no more than you might tame a tornado. One does not direct a force of nature."

Catching on, Lucy finished, "But you can mitigate the damage."

"Precisely." Mard Geer's eyes gleamed oddly in the dim lighting. "You are quick to adjust your thinking. You will need that with Jackal."

"Is that how  _you_  handled him?" Lucy inquired. "I can't imagine him being easy to deal with, even for a King of demons. And he doesn't seem the loyal type, no offense."

Mard Geer shrugged. "You are correct. What he respects is... overwhelming force. Which you distinctly lack. So outsmarting him is your best option."

Lucy fiddled with her covers for a moment, mulling over the information Mard Geer had given her. To be honest... none of it was particularly helpful. Analysis of her own would have led her to the same conclusions eventually. So why was this demon even here? Was he judging her, still? Why? He clearly held no love for Jackal.

"Why is Jackal so obsessed with me?" she blurted out. "What did I do to deserve this? Why me?"

The demon did not hesitate in his answer. "You murdered him. Most people take deep offense to that, I believe."

Surprised, Lucy recoiled. "I didn't do that! I think I'd remember murdering someone! And seriously, if I couldn't even fight back earlier,  _how_ could I have  _possibly_  killed him?!  _I_ was the one about to be murdered!"

"It was you," the demon said. "At the same time... it wasn't. I trust that your curriculum has covered alternate worlds by this point?"

Slowly, Lucy nodded. "Yeah. There are places separated from this world, in which dwell the demon, fae, and various spirit races."

"Jackal and I come from a world even further away than those," Mard Geer explained. "In that world, the both of us perished. It would seem that artificial demons - with our artificial souls - do not have a place to go to when that happens. I entered a limbo space between universes. It was there that I heard Mirajane's call, and lacking other purpose, answered it. Subsequently I found myself surrounded by very familiar faces." He smirked then. "Amusingly enough, Jackal preceded myself in death. I suspect that with more time to - as they say - stew, his obsession and hatred could do naught but intensify."

Lucy furrowed her brow as she stared hard at him. "So you're saying  _another_  me killed him. A stronger, more capable me."

"At its essence, yes. Your counterpart was quite powerful."

She pounced on the slip. "So you met her? This other me?"

Mard Geer's face slackened for a moment, and then his constantly amused expression returned as if it had always been. "Not directly. A summon of hers did cause quite a bit of trouble to me. In fact... it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that she started the chain of events that led to my death as well."

Terror spiked in Lucy's chest, cold spines prickling in her veins.

But the demon's expression remained unchanged. "Unlike Jackal, I do not much care for holding grudges," Mard Geer stated bluntly. "Even if I were..." He pursed his lips. "Killing a girl in her bed while she slept would be... boring."

Lucy suspected that he'd been about to say something else. Letting it drop seemed like the better option, however. There was no reason to antagonize Mard Geer into changing his mind and attacking her.

A quiet knock sounded on the door.

"It's open!" Lucy called out. Hoping that it was, in fact, unlocked. Who knew, really. There was a demon in the room after all. A demon with a professed, legitimate reason to want her dead.

The door cracked open a fraction. A woman with long, white haired peered into the room. "Is it alright if I turn on the lights...?"

Lucy flushed. "Sure!"

Bright light flooded the room, causing Lucy to wince. By the time her vision cleared, a tall woman was standing at her bedside. Her blue eyes shone from within, and her hair was so pale it cast halos. Her hands on her hips, she stared down at the demon. "What are you doing here, Mard? I'd wondered where you'd gotten off to!"

"Mirajane," Mard Geer greeted calmly. "Decided to visit here first before I spoke with Jackal."

So she'd been right after all. He had just been here to take measure of her, not to inform her of anything.

His summoner didn't seem to be buying the excuse. "Oh really? You needed to visit with someone who was unconscious?"

"She's not unconscious anymore," he retorted.

As they spoke, Lucy's eyes flicked between them. Mard Geer's body language was subtly different than before. His shoulders had dropped, and his gaze was completely focused on the woman in front of him. There was an ease to their banter as well, Lucy decided.

Mutual trust and respect?

Then Mirajane turned towards Lucy with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry for his rudeness. She bowed low to Lucy. "If he did anything untoward, please let me know. I should have kept a better eye on him."

Honestly, she needed to start that right now. Mard Geer was already out of his seat and halfway to the door.

"N-no," Lucy replied, allowing the demon his escape. "He did frighten me a bit by skulking in the dark, but that's all."

Mirajane frowned deeply, surveying Lucy's condition. Then she whipped around. "Mard!"

He paused, and turned his head towards his summoner. "Yes, Mirajane?"

She hesitated, and then the frown on her face was replaced by a kind smile. "Do be sure to give him a good talking to, yes?" Mirajane giggled, and the sound of it sent prickles of fear crawling up Lucy's spine. How could something sound so cheerful and yet so... empty at the same time?

The demon returned Mirajane's smile with a crueler copy. "Understood." With that, he departed.

' _He ran away_ ,' Lucy thought, sweat sliding down the back of her neck. ' _He totally just ran away._ '

Pulling up Mard's vacated chair, Mirajane sat down and made herself comfortable. The smile she directed at Lucy next was a far cry from her prior one - warmth and kindness seeped out of it.

"I'm sorry for the belated introduction! My name is Mirajane Strauss. I'm Lisanna's older sister."

Tentatively, Lucy smiled back at the older woman. "I'm Lucy."

Maybe with Mirajane she could finally get the advice she sought.

After all... if Mirajane could keep a being like Mard Geer in line, Jackal should be no problem, right

Or at least, Lucy hoped so.


End file.
